Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC / PANC) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Anchorage, United States of America
Anchorage
ANC/PANC
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 12:14 local
- Active runway
- 07R
- METAR wind
- 70° @ 3 kt
- Best spot
- Short final 07R - sunny side
- Sun
- 158° / 14°
D-ATIS · +3 kt headwind
LIFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 4h 52m
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Best Anchorage (ANC) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
LIFR70° @ 3 kt
1°C · 5 sm · 1033 hPa
BKN002 BKN020
Golden hour in 4h 52m
Runway alerts for Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
$3/mo
Spotting guideRunway windsATC frequencies
Lighting schedule
Morning 07:00-11:00, midday 11:00-14:00, afternoon 14:00-18:00 at ANC, scored from each spot's view bearing.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short final 07R - sunny side Runway 07R | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | CLEAN FRONT LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. |
| Climb-out 33 - sunny side Runway 33 | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 10:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 07R · Dep 33 / 07L
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07R | 90° | 12,400 ft | +2.8 kt | 1.0 kt | Landing |
| 25L | 270° | 12,400 ft | -2.8 kt | 1.0 kt | Standby |
| 15 | 165° | 10,865 ft | -0.3 kt | 3.0 kt | Standby |
| 33 | 345° | 10,865 ft | +0.3 kt | 3.0 kt | Departure |
| 07L | 90° | 10,600 ft | +2.8 kt | 1.0 kt | Departure |
| 25R | 270° | 10,600 ft | -2.8 kt | 1.0 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for Anchorage (PANC)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.300 | Published |
| Approach | 120.000 | Assigned |
| Departure | 126.750 | Assigned |
| Ground | 121.900 | Published |
| Delivery | 119.400 | Published |
| ATIS | 118.400 | Published |
Lens for the top pin: Sony FE 200-600mm, Uniden Bearcat BC125AT, FlightAware Pro Stick. Sony FE 200-600mmUniden Bearcat BC125ATFlightAware Pro Stick
Open the ATC frequency pageFrequently asked questions about plane spotting at Anchorage (ANC/PANC)
Which runway is active at Anchorage (ANC/PANC) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 12:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing 07R, departure 33+07L. The METAR wind is 70° at 3 kt. 07R shows +2.8 kt headwind and 1.0 kt crosswind from the left. Closed runways: none listed.
Where is the best place to plane spot at Anchorage (ANC) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 100° azimuth and -9° elevation. Short final 07R - sunny side scores 66/100, 1234 m from runway 07R, view bearing 60.7°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 214° and 11°. Short final 07R - sunny side scores 91/100 on a 60.7° view. Morning and afternoon picks follow that bearing: a view that wants the sun in the east is a morning spot, and a view that wants it in the west is an afternoon spot.
What is the best time to plane spot at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC/PANC) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: Short final 07R - sunny side. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 of 2 spotting locations. Read the Best Time of Day & Lighting Schedule by Spot table for the lens and the hours to avoid harsh backlit contrast.
What is the sun direction at PANC spotting locations?
PANC spotting locations sun direction: Short final 07R - sunny side (runway 07R) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 15:00-18:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00. Climb-out 33 - sunny side (runway 33) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Best local hours for crisp fuselage illumination: 10:00. Avoid 13:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Anchorage (ANC)?
Short final 07R - sunny side is 1234 m from the 07R centerline, so the lens is 150-600mm. The bands are fixed from that distance: 70-200mm inside 250 m, 100-400mm from 250 m to 450 m, and 150-600mm beyond 450 m. The aircraft itself is about 573 m from this pin on a 700 m final.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at Anchorage (PANC)?
Monitor Tower 118.3 MHz, Ground 121.9 MHz, ATIS 118.4 MHz. Online streams lag by 30 seconds or more. A handheld VHF airband scanner at the fence is the zero-delay way to hear a runway change on Tower 118.3 MHz.
How do I know when Anchorage (ANC) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 70° at 3 kt, so 07R remains the favored arrival. The $3/mo Telegram Runway-Shift Alert pings you when D-ATIS or the METAR wind vector changes the active runway: https://planespottingmap.com/airport/PANC#runway-alerts